Unlikely Bond
by Winterluna
Summary: Penny gets a phone call for help and an unlikely friendship forms. Part 5 coauthored with Darthluna01.
1. I Need Help, Penny

If there was a happiest person in the world, it would be Penny Pingleton. She had learned to ignore the constant stares of people when she was around Seaweed. She had left her house long ago for two reasons. First, her father had gotten out of jail, and she had feared what her sins were, in her father's eyes. Second of all, neither of her parents would approve of someone like Seaweed, especially because of his color.

Nevertheless, she was happy. She was finally free of her house, staying at her friend Tracy's until the age of eighteen. She had found a shop to work in. She was a dressmaker and engaged to Seaweed. It was now three years from high school graduation, and she knew what she wanted to do, sew and not get a proper education.

Tracy had woken her up to tell her that I was on the phone, and she reluctantly answered. How I came by this information, I do not know.

"Hello," Penny said through the phone line.

"Hi, Penny, it's Amber," I greeted. "Can you come over here?"

"Um, sure," she agreed, though I could tell quite reluctantly. "Where are you?"

"I will be at the WYZT studio in fifteen minutes. I'll take you home from there." I answered her, finding a place she would know.

"I'll be there, Amber," Penny answered.

"Thanks. I'll see you in fifteen minutes. Bye"

"Bye," she answered, and hung up the phone.

I grabbed my car keys, and headed towards my car.

As promised, in fifteen minutes, I had arrived to find another car in the lot; obviously Penny's. I looked harder, and found her in the car sucking on a lollipop. _Does she ever stop sucking those things?_ I wondered, walking towards her car.

"I'll follow you," she said stiffly, not taking her eyes off the steering wheel.

"See you there," I said, stepping away from the window. I walked back to my own car and ignited the engine.

Penny followed as promised and we soon arrived at my parents' estate. I opened the door, and let Penny walk through. I left for the kitchen, filling champagne flutes with champagne before re-entering the enormous living room that Penny had obviously found while I was in the kitchen.

I offered her one of the champagne flutes, which she took. She had finished her lollipop in the duration of the drive, and had dispensed the stick.

"I need your help, Penny," I began. She finally looked at me.

"With what?" she retorted. "Don't you have everything you need?"

"Not quite," I answered. "I need love, true love."

"You need some tips on how to get a man to notice you and such, right?" She set her empty champagne flute down.

"That's the idea. But there's one man in particular…" I drifted off, sipping on my previously untouched champagne.

"Who, may I ask?"

"Corny Collins has never noticed me before. I've always been irrevocably in love with him."

"For how long, Amber?"

"I've loved him since I first saw him."

"Which was how long ago?"

"Eight years ago; he was eighteen, I was thirteen."

"You've hoped this long that he would notice you? You have nerve, Amber. Do you have more champagne?"

"Of course I do. I'll be right back." I got the opened bottle of champagne and returned to the living room. I filled Penny glass and set the bottle down before beginning.

"So, you said you needed help to be noticed?" She sipped her champagne, looking over the rim at me.

"Yes."

"First, I'll need to see your closet; you clothes are rather normal right now."

I set down my now empty champagne glass. "Sure, follow me." I led her to the master bedroom, where my mother's old clothes and the new clothes I bought, were stored away.

Penny immediately started pulling out clothes, telling me to set them in two different piles: ordinary and noticeable. However, she did not inform me of the specific pile, just that one went in one pile and one in the other.

Once the entire closet was cleared, she picked a dress and told me to put it on. I left for the bathroom, doing as I was instructed.

I opened the door and strode to the mirror and my image almost took my breath away. I was wearing a strapless pink dress with a small bodice and a little bit of cleavage showing. The skirt of the dress was almost knee-length, but a little bit shorter. It fanned out a little bit. But what took my breath away was the smooth silk flowing over my curves.

Penny was smiling slightly and silently handed me a set of pink slippers that I put on. I understood then what she was thinking.


	2. Untimely News

"Amber, I have to go back to the shop," Penny said after watching me for a little bit. "Take the dress off and you can wear it tomorrow to the studio."

"Thanks for your help, Penny," I said, returning with the dress after I had taken it off.

"Sure, I'll be back at about six. Seaweed's not in town right now, so I don't have to plan much of the wedding." She grabbed her purse, and I led her to the front door. I remembered that I had some champagne, and I turned on the turntable and listened to some soft music.

By dusk I had finished the entire bottle of champagne, but I wasn't drunk. Every other alcoholic drink had made me drunk, even from a sip. But champagne never made me drunk.

Penny rang the doorbell just as I had put all of the glasses and the bottle away. I opened it and she was standing there in almost what would be considered a party girl dress. The bodice and skirt were as red as the lollipop in her mouth, and it was trimmed with black and the straps were the same black material as the trim.

"Come on in," I said, stepping to the side to let her in.

"Thanks," Penny said, emerging into the dimly lit room, considering it was only natural light filling the foyer.

"So, what are we going to do now?" I asked, sitting on the couch, not bothering to turn off the turntable.

"We are going to go shopping for accessories. I saw that you only had a few of them in your room." Penny was still standing up, and she was smiling.

"Would you like something to eat, Penny?" I asked, standing up and motioning the kitchen.

"I thought that we could go out," Penny muttered.

"That's fine with me. Let me just get some money."

I returned shortly to find Penny turning off the turntable and turned around.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yes. Penny, where are we going?"

"Several different places. First, we'll go to an accessory shop to find some accessories. After that, probably a shoe shop to find some more shoes for you."

"Thanks for doing this, Penny. It really means a lot to me that you care."

"I don't really care. I just want to help everybody that I can. Come on, Amber. Most of the stores will close soon and I want to get to them first."

I grabbed my own small, rather ordinary purse that now held the money in it. I walked out to an iron gray sky threatening to rain. Penny indicated her car, which I walked over to and slid into the passenger's seat. In the middle, was a bag of lollipops, obviously for when she was in the car.

The ride was smooth and short and we soon arrived at an accessory store full of purses, necklaces, bracelets and much, much more. Penny picked up a basket and handed it to me. She silently started to take things off the shelf and handed them to me to put in the basket.

This went on for thirty minutes to an hour when she finally decided that we got enough accessories. We bought all the items in the basket and returned to the car.

"Penny, why are you always sucking on lollipops?" I asked, noticing she had put another in her mouth.

"Nervous habit, I guess," she answered quietly.

"Still, you never stop."

"True, but I love them just as much as I love Seaweed. I can't help putting one in my mouth when I feel nervous."

"You have seemed pretty happy at times, and you still have it in your mouth."

"Amber, I don't know why I suck on them all the time. I just do."

"Alright. I was just wondering, though." I concentrated on the road ahead of me, waiting for the car to slow.

Penny finally did stop the car, and we exited. I had been by her shop before, but I had never been inside it.

"Is this your shop?" I asked.

"Yes. I plan on making some dresses for you. With the war it's hard to find clients, but I manage. You'll get a discount," she assured me. "We need to get some measurements. While I get set up, feel free to look around the store."

I wandered the store while waiting for her to come back. The assistants had left, and I heard sobbing from the back. I found my way to the dressing rooms where I saw one with the curtain drawn. I ambled toward it, opening it to find Penny clutching a letter, face streaming with tears. I sat on the bench next to her and pulled her close. She did not try to push me away.

After several minutes when her sobs had subsided a little, she picked her head up and wiped the tears from her face and eyes. She looked at me and spoke quietly.

"S-Seaweed w-w-was d-drafted."

"What?" I asked, forgetting to be calm.

"He's going to war. We're scheduling it for when he returns."

"You poor thing." I sat uncomfortably rubbing her arm.

"Worse, Tracy and Link are in California. I don't have any friends or family nice enough here in Baltimore."

"What about me?" I wondered aloud, trying so hard not to say it but failing.

"What about you? You were always hurting me."

"I'm sorry about that. I want to help you now."

"I don't need your help." She tried to stand up, but collapsing all over again. I held out my arms to catch her.

"I think you will need help getting up stairs."

"No, I want to go to dinner."

"Where?"

"Any Italian restaurant you want to go, Amber."

"I know a good restaurant, but it might take a while to get there."


	3. Dinner Conversations

"I'm up for an adventure," Penny said, grabbing the keys to my car and pulling me along behind her. We both climbed into my car and sat in silence until I asked a simple question:

"When did he get drafted?"

"Six months ago," Penny replied. "He left three months ago, though."

"Oh, if Corny was drafted, I don't know what I'd do," I sighed, staring out the window at the rolling pastures while keeping a watchful eye on the road.

"Well, he wouldn't even care if you had been, but we're going to change that," Penny said, staring opposite of me. "And first, we're going to start with your hair. You also wear too much make-up, Amber. Then, you need to update your wardrobe. I can help you with that."

"But what about myself?" I asked.

"Your personality is fine, but you wanted to be noticed. For that is what you asked of me."

"Oh. But, how do I do all the flirtations and such?"

"I never got Seaweed by flirting."

"But, with Corny it would help."

"Fine, but I'm not exactly the person to talk ask for that." Penny was getting more aggravated at the moment at what I wanted.

I turned off soon and I drove around the tiny town until I found what I wanted. Penny quickly exited the car and started walking to the door. I ran to catch up to Penny, of whom had cooled her anger and slowed down to let me catch up.

The buoyant hostess asked, "Party of two today, ladies?"

"Please," I responded politely, much to the surprise of Penny.

Once we were seated and told the specials, Penny began her speech. "Amber, I don't know if I can do this or not. Ever since Link and Tracy left, all I had to talk to was Seaweed. Now that he's gone, I don't know if I can continue with this."

"Hey," I began, "If you want anything in return, I'd be happy to give it to you. I have a lot of money…"

"It's not money I want; it's someone to talk with. The silence in the house is deafening. Can you find me a friend?"

"Penny, if we weren't friends, you wouldn't have answered the phone that day and listened to me. Penny, I will listen until my ears bleed."

"Why didn't you come to me before, Amber? Why did you have to make all of those lies just to make us suffer?"

"I will only tell you if you promise to believe me."

Penny considered the preposition. On the one hand, she is so close to the truth. On the other, it might be so out there that she might not believe it. She took a deep breath. "I might not believe you, but I won't kid you about it. I mean, I'll try."

"My mother manipulated me to the point of no return. She did things that I could never forgive her for. I told them at court, and I got them agreed. She finally got what she deserved; a life sentence for her many digressions. The only problem is: I had to go to my aunt's house for two years. I have full custody of my house."

Penny hadn't gotten to tears, like she wanted to do it in front of me, but I could tell she was heart-broken at the story that I had finished.


	4. Coffee and Rehearsal

If I hadn't learned anything that day, Inez Stubbs wouldn't have won the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant. I had finally learned about Penny, and how deep she goes. She can tell how cold a person's heart is if she can just spend five minutes with them. Seaweed was truly lucky.

We had gotten back so late that she had collapsed on the guest bed, clothes and all. I think it might have been all the champagne that she had the night before.

I woke up with my head buzzing, but I couldn't exactly remember everything that happened. I know that I had at least two bottles of champagne, but that never has any effect on me. I didn't stay up very late, only about until eleven. Sugar can sometimes make me dizzy the next morning if I have it too late.

As I thought of all the possible reasons, I cooked breakfast for two. I had let go of my mother's maids (to whom she treated poorly) and gradually learned to cook myself. I was self-sufficient.

Penny came down thirty minutes later, complaining about a horrible headache she had acquired. She did not look well, but I kept my silence throughout breakfast. She changed and fixed her hair before coming down, claiming her headache was now gone.

"They generally leave after you eat a good meal," I found myself saying in the parlor, sipping coffee. "Anyway, when did Tracy leave, Penny?"

"She left shortly after you called," Penny answered, fiddling with the curled ponytail; she wasn't sucking a lollipop. "She said she had gotten a job in Hollywood. Seaweed left six months ago, and he's only written twice. He says that he's really busy, though. I imagine that he is."

An awkward silence ensued. Penny very occasionally sipped on her coffee, but mostly twirled her hair around again and again. She apparently had something to say; her mouth repeatedly opened and closed. "So, what are you doing right now? I mean, for work."

"Oh, I'm working for a dance company. I might move to New York soon. It all depends on if I get a part on Broadway. If not, then I will soon become a coach." I felt bad about the moving part, as Penny would be all alone.

"How do you make money?" Penny asked.

"Well, I do dance recitals, which costs. So, all of us get some sort of money.""And then you get some money from your parent's bank account," Penny reasoned with a laugh. "So you're all set."

"I consider that money dirty money. It all came from a horrible cause." I finished my cup of coffee. "Oh, that reminds me; I have a rehearsal today at 11:30."

Penny checked her watch, her face screwing up in disgust. "It's 10:30. You might want to get dressed."

I set down my coffee mug on the table and ran up stairs. I heard Penny come up a little quieter, and I called through the door as I rushed to change my clothes, "What do you need Penny?"

"Is Corny going to be there?" she asked, and I could hear her sucking noises from outside; she was sucking a lollipop.

"If today is Saturday," I called back through the door.

"Well, you're in luck. Put a robe on and I can help you pick out a dress." Penny started to turn the door.

"I'll just wear the one you told me to wear yesterday." I was getting angry. "I'll also wear the shoes."

"Alright," she seemed a little uncomfortable, though, I could hear her retreating.

I finally managed to get the dress on, and my feet seemed perfect for the shoes for today. Yesterday, they fit, but they didn't seem like a dream.

My hair was returned to its normal state. By that time, I was finally ready to leave.

"I'm going to come with you, Amber," Penny finalized. "I want to see Corny again and see how well he's doing. I might also be able to give you some hints."

"Okay." My mind was in a fog. I wondered how much Corny would notice me. Or would he just talk with Penny the entire time? Of course, not the entire time. He would have to teach the class.

My thoughts traveled with me to the dance studio. I was pulled back by Penny.

"Keep your cool. Don't let me get in the way. And for heaven's sake, remember to be yourself."

"Right, that sounds a lot easier than actually doing it."

"What happens around Corny?" Penny seemed genuinely worried.

"I get all giggly and hyper."

"Oh, well, just transfer your energy to dancing."

I walked into the studio shyly, and immediately saw Corny Collins. "Go on," Penny's voice echoed in my head. I shuffled forward and faced Corny.

"Do you remember Penny, Mr. Collins?" I asked, not daring to look in his eyes.

"First of all, you've known me long enough to not use Mr. Collins. Second of all, how could I not forget bubbly Penny? How's Seaweed?" I sneaked a peek at his eyes. He was staring at me straight in the eye.

I stared then at Penny. Her eyes were rimmed with tears; she couldn't face the truth with Corny.


	5. Swirls of Chocolate and Dancing

"Penny, are you alright?" Corny asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Penny gave me a nod, and I answered carefully, so I wouldn't hurt her feelings. "S-Seaweed was drafted." My voice was shaky from the guilt I felt from having to tell Corny. "He left several months ago. She's been a wreck ever since."

"I'm so sorry, Penny," Corny tried to pull her into a hug, but Penny subtly fought back. "I'm free for dinner tonight, if you want to talk about it."

I had to speak for Penny, and I did what I thought she might say. "She would love to be able to talk to you. How's my place? I think you remember how to get there."

"I think that would be great! I'll be there about six. Is that a good time?" Corny seemed to bounce on his heels as he said so.

"We're a little busy tonight, but tomorrow I'm free." I really wanted to get Penny into shape before I started talking to Corny.

"Alright."

"But not until seven."

"It's dinner! Oh, dear, we need to get started. Penny, you can just sit on the sidelines for now."

Penny sniffles subsided for a little while. "I have some things to do, so I'll be back shortly." I handed Penny the keys, and she left with a soft wink without Corny knowing getting to see.

I danced my hardest, but I couldn't seem to get Corny's attention; he was always diverting his eyes to someone who needed help. I never got commended for anything, so I thought I was doing okay.

Penny came by later at around four to pick me up and take me home. "How'd it go? Did he say much about you?"

"He never even looked at me." My downhearted voice seemed to depress Penny. "He only helped others, but I was pretty sure I was doing things wrong."

"Is he the only coach on Saturdays?"

"Yes, and we have a recital on Wednesday," I seemed to change to a whining mode, but Penny changed the subject anyway.

"Why did you change it to tomorrow? We aren't doing anything tonight." Penny's eyes seemed fixed on the road, but I was sure that she would have looked me straight in the eyes if she was able.

"Well, I was planning a surprise for tonight. Besides, tomorrow is Corny's birthday."

"First of all, what about tonight? Second of all, what?" She was definitely trying to be funny and serious at the same time, and it was pulled of sort of well.

"Tonight, I was going to make you dinner. I wanted to talk to you about something pertinent to Corny."

"Well, I think, from what you said, that Corny was too intimidated by you and thought he might do something rash if he dared look at you. He couldn't bear to do that."

"That's what I thought about it. I thought that you could give some pointers, but you seemed to coach more than give."

"Maybe I just need to change," Penny mumbled wistfully.

"No, obviously not according to Seaweed," I answered with a you're-so-stupid tone. "Listen, Penny Pingleton is a really amazing person who cares about everyone. You hated me before you learned about me. You are willing to see the darkness to get the light. You do not need to change."

"I don't know. I mean, I begin to think that Seaweed wouldn't have been drafted if he hadn't been dating me."

"That's not true, Penny. And you know that's not true. Don't ever think that." I had turned to face her, and her head snapped several times to face me. "You are a bright person who can do anything she wants in this world."

"I guess you're right. I don't know why I did some of the things I did today. I went to the shop for a few minutes to fix up a few things, and I ended up crying the entire time. Seaweed and I lived in a flat above my shop. Going back to my shop just reminds me of him."

"Then stay at my place. Penny, I insist. If need be, I can get some materials for you to sew some dresses."

"Thanks, Amber. I need to get my shop back in order, though. I have to face it." Her voice, again, was close to breaking.

"I insist that you stay. Penny, you can go back while I'm in rehearsal, but please don't spend the night there. You are suffering from separation anxiety. You need people, and I'm the only one who is available all the time."

"Corny's a friend. So's Maybelle. I can just talk with them."

"Corny's always working on some sort of something, especially his show, and Maybelle is on a business trip right now. I'm the only one here."

"What about the original cast? Fender, Brad; those guys?"

"They've all gotten their parts on Broadway or some Hollywood show."

"And you're still here?"

"Yes. I didn't want to have a big job where everybody knows my name. I just want to dance. It is my passion. My mother passed it on to me, and I don't mind. She danced for fame. I dance for pleasure."

"Are you ever going to college?"

"I don't think so. I like my life right now. I'm sort of looking forward to my possible move to New York, but I like Baltimore even more. I don't miss my old life either." _But I wish Corny could be in my new life more..._

"You mean the life with your mother."

I had to take a deep breath. I hated my mother, even though I might have shown that I liked her before. I couldn't bear to look at any pictures of my mother without breaking out in a rush of angry tears. "Yes."

Penny pulled into the drive and exited in a rush similar to one who has anxiety. She fumbled with my keys to open the door. She burst in after I picked out the key and thrust it into the door. She turned the key and ejected it and placed it in my hands.

"Would you like champagne?" I asked, closing the door behind me.

"Sure, but I need to eat sometime soon. I'm getting hungry."

"Anything in particular you want?" I was reaching into my secret stash of chocolate, and I snuck a piece into my mouth. That was where our maids always kept my chocolate that I snuck during my mother's reign. She had been so ultra-paranoid about my appearance.

"No, thanks."

I looked back at Penny and thought, _What is so important about everyone's appearance? _I got out the flutes and bottle and took them out to the parlor. The chocolate turned slightly bitter on my tongue.


	6. Trivial Matters

Dinner was made in a timely fashion, but it was also made to perfection. As I set it down on the table, Penny began to furiously pile the noodles on her plate.

"There's more in the kitchen," I announced, pouring each of us champagne. It looked like the perfect date, but we were here to talk business.

"Thank you. I haven't eaten since this morning," Penny answered, shoveling the food into her mouth. "I finished a dress that you may have while you were rehearsing, but only barely. It was your size, so I decided I might as well finish it and give it to you. I brought it with me, but I left it in the car."

"Thank you very much," I answered, putting a forkful in my mouth. When I finished, I asked my next question. "How do I ask Corny out?"

"It'll seem too forward if you ask him yourself. Did you get the job on Broadway?"

"Yes," I answered, watching her eat as though there were no tomorrow. I was prepared this time for the off-topic questions that would soon go on-topic.

"I want you to resign tomorrow and tell me what expression he had on his face and anything else worth noting. You are to take the job in New York, and, if necessary, I will follow you." Penny finally took a sip of champagne and relaxed into a slower eating manner.

"What about you being here to meet Seaweed?" I asked.

"I can go up and come back when he comes to town. He won't return for another year, Amber." She had unusually high spirits, and I asked her about it. "I found a friend here. When you first came to me, I had lost everything. Now I have something to live for; a mission of sorts."

"Would that be trying to help me?"

"It would. Did you make dessert?" I was unprepared for this question, though.

"Yes, why?"

"I don't think I'll be able to eat it. I will sit here while you eat it if you want, though."

"How did we all of a sudden become friends and drink champagne together?" I wondered aloud.

"Amber, when Tracy left, she gave no indication that she was going to keep in touch with me. I had no idea where to turn as Seaweed had left and I was still teary over it. I had no idea that Tracy would do that. Her mother was furious with her, and she didn't tell Link that she didn't want to talk to me afterwards. I was heart-broken and alone for the first time in the world, excepting the time before I had met Tracy. I moved automatically and didn't bother caring about my well-being. Business was the only thing I could do, but I could often think about them while I was sewing. I was in a great state of depression.

"And then you called on me. I didn't want to help you because I thought you would ruin my life even further. But then when you asked politely for my help and were very civilized with me, I thought that you would be a friend to me and help me through all of this. You were very kind to me and even bought me dinner at an expensive restaurant. You were under your mother's spell, you said, and I didn't believe you then, but then I soon learned that you couldn't possibly have thought about hurting all of those people if you were so kind to me. I also saw how you treated the people in the dance room today. You were the same to them as you were to me.

"Amber, you are a nice person who got left in the wrong hands. You were blinded by your mother manipulations and thus disallowing yourself to be kind to the others. You proved a lot of people wrong after that pageant."

"I'm just a stuck-up rich whore," I interrupted quietly.

"Says them," Penny laughed. "What do they know about you since your mother's imprisonment?"

I changed the topic slightly. "My mother won't be out at all. After murdering my father, she received life imprisonment. She hates it something fierce." It had been a repetition from a previous conversation, but she wasn't daunted.

"Amber, focus here. You now have a chance to prove to Corny that you aren't the snob anymore."

"How is that possible?" I asked.

"You are around me more often, and I haven't been scorned recently, have I?" Penny asked, staring at me, waiting for an answer. "With my good reputation there, I can use any methods, legal methods, necessary to convince them that you weren't yourself. I've got it all planned out, Amber."

"Are you sure?"

"I am totally confident. I'll need you to wear the dress I just made you to the studio tomorrow." Penny stared off into the distance for the rest of the night.

-

My dress was as red as rubies and was knee-length, strapless, and form-fitting; Penny certainly had done well. The silk breathed easily for me, and it moved fluidly with my body. It really did make me look like I was rich but not trying to be a whore. Penny admired it for a moment before picking shoes from the closet that matched perfectly.

My stomach flipping over and over, I entered the studio and walked confidently to Corny's office. "I'm resigning." I noted his face for later before his composure returned and stated,

"Wherever did you find a job with your cheek?" he had asked, his lips almost dripping with ice.

"Funny, Corny, that you can consider my acts as cheek and still treat me with utmost disdain and propriety," I countered, strolling about the room.

"This is not a battle of the wits, Miss von Tussel." I noted the use of my surname and 'miss,' but decided to continue with this argument.

"Perhaps you think me inept as to be able to counter your remarks?" My words were not cold or warm, rather questioning.

"Perhaps. Back to the original question, Miss von Tussel: Where did you find a job?"

"In New York. You don't need to know anymore than that." I was trying to be as level-headed as possible.

"Fine. Here are the papers, fill them out and then you'll be gone." He grimaced before sitting behind his desk and started shuffling papers. I noted this, too.

I filled out the papers as quickly as possible before coldly exiting the room and walking out of the studio, but I had a feeling it wasn't for the last time as I had hoped. Penny had been waiting in car for me to return, and I slid into the car and told her, "He called me 'Miss von Tussel,' he shuffled papers while I was filling out the resignation papers without writing anything, and his face was one of hurt and relief."

"He's probably relieved because he can't keep up a front much longer, and he was overexerting himself to keep himself from becoming too polite. He loves you, Amber.

"What about your dance group, though?" You would think I was used to the abrupt changes in subject.

"They are transferring me to their New York branch, and I shall be a coach. I'll have to shuffle that and playing Kim in 'Bye, Bye Birdie.' That was the musical my mother always wanted me to play in, but I always wanted to do it for myself."

"You seem to share a lot in common with your mother..." Penny noted, pulling into the drive.

**A/N**: This chapter was dedicated to Darthluna01 who waited so long for it. I'm so sorry about the delay. I've been writing for Thoughts and Reflections and A Second Chance so diligently, I almost forgot about this one.


	7. A Torn Heart

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked hotly. It wasn't exactly right for her to put me in my place next to my mother when it was next to her.

"It just means that you seem to like her ways a lot."

"She did a lot of what I wanted to do with my career. Quite generally, I didn't like Link at the time. Not like that anyway," I defended. "The point is that my mother forced me to do things I didn't want to do."

"Like what?"

"Torment everyone on the Corny Collins Show. It was all for her reputation. I hated her, Penny. But I must give her gratitude for my advancement in my career. I mean, I'm already on my way to being a Broadway star, which was always my dream. She gave me the fame, but it was Corny Collins who taught me how."

"Is that why you like him so much, Amber? Because you could use him to learn how to dance?"

"I didn't manipulate him. He was my mentor, Penny." It seemed that I wouldn't win this argument, no matter how much I could declare I was telling the truth. After all, I hadn't before because of the snake I called my mother.

"How can I trust you? You lied to me for many years, Amber. Why did I even agree that we were friends?"

"Because you knew that you could trust me. When you took that phone call, you decided you needed a friend in the world. Was I really the only one you could talk to, or were you really trying to make amends with me?"

"I thought you could have changed." The words hit me hard. The knife plunged into my soul, and I realized that all of those years would amount to the fact that I would be alone for a long time to come, and it wasn't my fault.

We arrived at my house after the statement had finished being said. I silently got out and shut the door, but I didn't hear another open and close; Penny wasn't going to stay at the house. I waited for her emotionless mask to change, but it never did, so I entered the house, which seemed colder. The loneliness reverberated off the walls with each high-heeled step on the marble flooring. I was reminded of the red dress Penny had made that now lost its magic because of the fight; I was still wearing it, too. I liked the loneliness I felt when I hadn't had any friends before it.

-

Penny, like clockwork, picked me up at the same time for the next three days, but she wouldn't talk to me at all. She finally said something when the movers came to help me move from one chilled mansion to another, but it wasn't much.

"Amber, can I have few more days to mull this whole thing over?" she asked timidly, in an enclosed bathroom she decided was private enough.

"Sure," I said after a few seconds. I walked out rather briskly, but I did have a lot to plan. What was the real surprise was that Corny was standing at the open door; they had finished boxing and were moving them into the moving van. "Hello, Corny."

"I wonder how you managed to get a company that likes you. Generally it's the other way around."

"Here for a joust or Penny today, Corny?" I asked, crossing my arms over my modest dress; it was nearing a Baltimore fall.

"That's what I mean. They wouldn't dare deal with someone who has so much vitality in their sneers."

"So, you're here to give me compliments, Corny?" I pressed, angling a shoulder towards him before retracting it.

"No, actually I came to make sure that you aren't nostalgic over leaving this house."

"Goodbye to you, too, Corny," I finalized. I brushed past him and left to check how many boxes were in the van and how many had been put in the van.

"Amber, I..." he began.

"Anything else you'd like to say?" I was standing on the middle step on the outside foyer. I had uncrossed my arms when I left, but I now found them crossed again.

"I can't tell you when you're leaving for New York. It's just like I'm keeping you from what you want."

I saw a figure from behind Corny emerge questioningly, but I didn't bother with them. "Which would be what? Or is your tongue so tied that you can't tell me and you're just wasting my time so that I can't leave sooner so that you can see me tomorrow?"

"Amber, I can tell very much that you want to dance. It's your first love, and there won't be another to take its place."

"Where are you going with this?" I sounded harsh, but I didn't regret it. Somehow, I felt love and another friendship falling apart.

"You know what, just forget it."

"Right. Next time you want to get sentimental, just call me in New York. Get the number from Penny." I walked away, and I only saw him again after he climbed into his car and drove away.

-

"I saw your fight with Corny," confessed Penny. She decided she was okay enough to drive with me to New York. Her hands started twitching.

"It wasn't mostly a fight."

"He was frightened to tell you his feelings. I think they are mutual. Otherwise he wouldn't have freaked out." She put the darn lollipop back in her mouth.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Penny," I said, sighing as I took a curve slowly on the rainy road.

"What did one of you say that created this animosity?"

"'Next time you want to get sentimental, just call me in New York.' I don't regret it, though."

"That's the problem. But he probably didn't know that you regretted it. This is good."

"How? He hates me, you hate me, and everyone is avoiding me except for you two."

"Sometimes that's a good thing," mumbled Penny, staring out the opposite window with the lollipop hardly moving; something was bothering her…


	8. Road Talk

"Penny, what could you possibly mean by that?" I asked, keeping an eye on both the road and Penny, now staring out the wet window.

"I'm now afraid to make friends and other relationships. Seaweed, Tracy, and Link left. Corny is tiptoeing around me because of you, and you are just being yourself," Penny put her forehead against the window. A gasp was barely audible at the chill, but she did not move it away.

"I really am trying to follow everything you say, Penny. I'm working so hard to win Corny's heart."

"You don't need to win his heart. You need for him to accept that part of his heart. But now he never will if you continue with this arguing. Honestly…" Penny pondered at this lengthy pause, "I think I can make this work."

"How?" I nearly lost control from looking at her too long. But no matter how long I stared, nothing could tear her away from the lollipop and her own thoughts. I waited a few seconds before repeating the word sharply. After about the fourth time, she finally snapped out of it.

"Make him so angry with you that he must confess his true feelings."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"I shall talk to Corny. I won't tell the whole truth straight out. I shall merely hint at it."

"I hope the anger one works. I wouldn't want Corny to know that I actually love him until he confesses it to me."

"That is good thinking, Amber. I like your idea. When the time is right, he will say it. Our job is to persuade him to do it with anger, or the last possible result is subtle hints. After that, you can have your fairy tale ending and everything will be merry again."

"Penny, what if he really doesn't love me or won't admit to loving me?" I asked, leaning my head on my hand, which was on the edge of the window sill.

"Let's hope that never happens. But I'm pretty sure that you can make him say it, Amber. You have a lot of talent. We just have to perfect some areas. Amber, you can be whoever you want to be. That is the beauty of being an excellent actress."

"You haven't seen me act much, have you?"

"For many years. You had to have been a good actress to love your mother and treat her like a goddess. There is no other way that you could have loved someone like that."

As a pause settled over the conversation, I became aware of a tear slipping down my cheek. That had been terrible to torment everyone on the show and everyone in school. My mother thought I was crying because Link had left me. She couldn't look upon her own pride to see what was really there. That she could be causing the crying of her only love. She only loved me, and that was why I couldn't refuse. It was either her or everyone else. If I chose everyone else, I would have been under her thumb forever.

"Amber? Are you alright? Do you want me to take the wheel?" Penny had finally come off of the window.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"My mother."

"Oh, honestly. That is that past. It is time to move on. Please, can you just focus on what's ahead of you? You have a bright new future and a chance to define yourself for yourself. If you truly are manipulative and overbearing, then you shall be shunned. However, I think that over the past few weeks you have shown true compassion. As you said, you followed every request I have given you. You wore clothes that you probably don't like to wear, you've been perfect around Corny, as according to my instruction, and you also dote on me with champagne and food. I think Corny knows that side of you, and always saw it. He just couldn't say anything because you were the stage manager's daughter. If everyone knew that side of you, they would treat you with so much respect."

"Then why doesn't Corny do that with me now?"

"He doesn't know if you'll turn on him. But I can trust you after your test."

"Which one was that?"

"The one where I got angry with you. I feigned anger just so that I could see if you truly believed in this relationship. I'm so very sorry. On the bright side, you passed."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ignorance is bliss, Amber. If you had known, you would have studied to pass. The best test is one that hasn't been studied for."

"Thanks for the piece of wisdom. I think we just arrived in New York," I finished, upon seeing towering, obviously corporate buildings.

"I think so, too. Welcome home, Amber. I hope you find more happiness here."

"I'm sure I will." As I had never been to New York before, I began admiring the splendor while keeping a cautious eye on the road. For an instant, I saw Penny admire it, too.

"Are you staying here, Penny?"

"Definitely."


	9. My Life Begins

We drove through the traffic-jammed city of New York, trying to see the sights and avoid the other drivers. We definitely weren't in Baltimore anymore.

"So, Amber, are you going to try out for a Broadway musical?" Penny said, her spirits brightening almost automatically.

"I think so. If the dance troupe will let me. The troupe comes first, so I have to make sure that I prioritize that over a Broadway career. The troupe leader also declared that I will have an agent if they decide that they like my dancing."

"You really improved since your mother was put into jail."

"That's because she was holding me back to make sure that she had all of the attention on her through me."

"You must have had a rough time in your childhood."

"I don't regret it, though. She at least gave me a start and helped me to understand what I really wanted to do. I really like to dance. I'm fairly certain that at times it was the only thing we had in common pertaining to our personality traits and hobbies."

"Have you visited her since she was put into prison?"

"Once. She kept trying to change me, thinking that she could control me from jail. I told her I was breaking off from her. Lucky for me, she wouldn't get anything because her accounts were frozen when she was indicted with murder of my father. They would be frozen until I turned eighteen, and then the funds would go to me. That was the law. So, I have my trust fund, my earnings from the Corny Collins show, and all of her money."

"Really? Is that how you were able to keep the house?"

"Yep. That also went to me. I elected to become an emancipated minor. I already had a paying job, so I could support myself. I was well enough to make medical decisions. So, I would just have to wait out two years to get the money."

"How many people knew this?"

"Corny and Maybelle knew because I had to inform my boss. My mother eventually found out when she asked the lawyers about me, and they told her that I was an emancipated minor. So, they were the ones that let the cat out of the bag. She kept sending me threatening letters. I showed them to the corrections officer, and they declared they would read her every letter to make sure that she wouldn't send anything like it again. I haven't gotten a letter from her since."

"I'm so sorry. About everything that happened to you. I didn't think it could have been that bad."

"Penny, you were always persecuting me. But I knew that I deserved it. So, don't worry about it. Honestly, I didn't bother to listen to what they were telling me because I knew that I deserved it."

"But why did you continue to live with her even though she did all of this stuff to you?"

"Because I didn't know any better. But then when I grew up, I realized how much of a coward I was." I finally turned off of the highway and began going down an even more populated street. I was silent as I navigated through the cars and taxis.

"Do you know where you're going?"

"I'm going to the New York Dance Troupe. I'll return to Baltimore during the holidays if I can."

"And do you know where you are going on the road as well?"

"Yep." After a few minutes and only a few blocks, I finally turned into a plush parking garage. I pulled into a spot after paying at the shack. Penny and I got out, and we started walking toward the stairs.

"Wait," Penny said from the bottom step. "Are you sure about leaving Baltimore? I just want to make sure that you are doing exactly what you want to do."

"First of all, thank you for looking out for me. Second of all, I've been stuck working at the Corny Collins show for about the last seven years. I've been bored, so I'm pretty sure that I'm doing what I want."

"Good." She began walking upwards. I waited for her to reach my step before climbing again. We climbed up ten sets of stairs before we finally reached the office for the troupe; they were oddly placed in a corporate building but were placed on the other side of town for the studio. I walked to the reception desk and introduced myself and placed the card I had received in the mail on the counter.

"Right this way," the lady said, clacking both her heels and her gum.

Penny and I were shown into an opulent office full of dance awards. A mahogany desk stood off to one side. A tall but muscular woman sat behind it, shuffling papers in front of her and marking on some of them. Without looking up, she said, "Take a seat and I'll be right with you." Eventually, she put the papers aside in a manila folder, showing yet another manila folder. "I got your résumé the other day, and I think that you might be a good addition to our troupe. Now, you said you have an interest in doing Broadway?"

"Yes," I answered feebly.

"Every time that a part opens up and someone from our troupe who sings seems good for it, we try to get them in. They are about to do a production of Bye Bye Birdie, and you might be good for the part of Kim. I will set up an audition for you sometime soon. They will be in touch with you.

"Now, I expect you to show up on Monday," today was Friday, "at six o' clock sharp for rehearsal. You will only have a lunch break. You will finish at four. They will hopefully give you a schedule over there. I seem to be out of them. Do you have any questions?"

"How much does it pay?"

"It pays about 100 thousand a year."

"But how do you get the money to pay for that?"

"Well, you have to pay for your costumes, shoes, and makeup. Other than that, it's all for you. You will get a paycheck of 8,500 dollars every month to cover all of your expenses, including all of the aforementioned items. So, we just live off of our performances. We generally have multi-night shows. Especially during the holidays and summer. Don't worry about the money except for how much everything costs. That's all. Remember, be sharp, and earlier is even better. Goodbye." And with that, my life had started.


End file.
